Moments in Gaming is where we look back on gaming experiences that have left a particularly strong impression on us over the years: mainly for good reasons, but sometimes for bad ones.

As it’s Star Wars Day (Fourth of May be with you!) we figured it was time for a couple of moments from LucasArts oldies, of which this is the first. (Here’s one from the archives, too, for good measure).

Exactly how strong in the Force can you be? Strong enough to be a bit handy with a laser sword? To raise a sunken X-Wing from a swamp? To choke a guy in a meeting that’s getting on your nerves?

The mysteries of this power were arguably diluted in the 00s by the prequel trilogy’s midichlorian blood test, a surfeit of lightsaber-wielding Jedi, and CG scenes that went far beyond what anyone who watched the original films might have thought possible.

How, then, to up the ante again for your new Star Wars action game, telling the tale of a previously unacknowledged apprentice of Darth Vader, who is also Extremely Strong in the Force?

In the early stages of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, our protagonist – known as Starkiller – represents a version of the dark side that involves locking yourself in your bedroom to listen to Linkin Park. He’s pretty good in a fight, though, as you find out by carving your way through level after level of hapless opponents: slicing them up, throwing them off cliffs and dropping big crates on them.

For late-game set-pieces, though, that won’t cut the mustard. Neither will another slightly hit-or-miss boss battle against another Force-enabled opponent. It’s time to give the player something they’ve never seen before.

***MODERATE SPOILERS FOLLOW***

At this point, Starkiller is technically still on a secret undercover mission for Lord Vader, although it’s fair to say that he’s starting to have a few doubts about where his loyalties lie. Pretending to help the nascent rebellion against the Empire under the cover of using it to aid Vader in his power struggle with Emperor Palpatine handily keeps all options open, story-wise, for the player to make a decision as the end of the game approaches.

As Starkiller returns to Raxus Prime, one of the more memorable locations from Force Unleashed‘s early levels, his task is to destroy a shipyard building Star Destroyers above the planet, helping the Rebellion and/or Vader by striking a blow against the Empire/Emperor.

Once the deed is done, Starkiller faces a new problem: one of the damaged Star Destroyers is now heading right for him. He suggests over the radio that he needs to get out of there, pronto.

“You’ll never get clear in time!” comes the reply, from Rahm Kota, one of your vanquished Jedi foes from earlier in the game, and now serving as your light-side mentor. “Reach out with the Force and grab that ship… rip it down!”

Starkiller’s incredulity is noted, perhaps matching that of the player. Aside from the implausibility of the task, how exactly pulling the ship towards you is a great plan, when it seems to be moving fairly slowly as it is, providing you with ample opportunity to simply leg it, isn’t altogether clear.

You might also query why exactly you have to get the ship into such a precise position with the analogue sticks to do so, as well as the effectiveness of the on-screen prompts, particularly as you’re forced to fend off recurring waves of TIE Fighters in between each attempt at focusing your Force powers on the big threat looming overhead.

But this is a game that’s trying its best to give you a great and memorable moment, while also coming up with a mechanism for making you feel how hard it might be to accomplish.

In both respects, it succeeds: the end of this level feels like a clear standout in Star Wars gaming history, while straining at the controls to effect the slow movement of the ship as it gradually bends to your will recreates on some level the concentration and effort that might be required of the character in completing his task.

The Force Unleashed is otherwise a mixed bag of a game, feeling at times lightweight and slapdash in its treatment of its source material in a way that the target audience might not always appreciate. But it also has a few high points, including this one, which will stay with you long after the pertinent details of the rest of the game have faded away.

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Half-hearted giveaway: for once, if you write in, you could actually win a prize.

If you fancy a key for an old Star Wars classic, I have a few duplicates to give away to a good home (by which I mean, you actually want to play the game yourself and not sell it on for cash). Drop me an e-mail for more details.